Southern States

College-admission test scores in member states of the Southern Regional Education Board have, on average, increased over the past 10 years, according to a study by that Atlanta-based organization.

In seven of the 16 states, African-American and Hispanic students improved their scores on the ACT and SAT from 1997 to 2006. Still, the average ACT and SAT score gains of black and Hispanic students lagged behind the gains of white youths in most states.